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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”